Such Is Life
by EpicSmiley12
Summary: An aspiring writer, online university student, older sister, and adoptive mother. That's a lot on a twenty-two year old woman. However, Mr. Universe decided her plate just wasn't full enough. She has been chosen to host ten "diplomats" from the world of Equestria for a year. Nothing could go wrong, of course. Wait... Why is the rain...brown?
1. A Scroll in the Mail

**Hello all. I thought I'd try my hand at a ponies on Earth fanfic. Now, I might be making more of these types, but unless I distinctly say so they won't have anything to do with each other. Please enjoy :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I do, however, own Ivy, Damien, Annabell, and Mercury.**

**~MLP~MLP~MLP~**

I couldn't stop staring at the letter in my hands. It was unbelievable, what it was asking me to do. I didn't even realize that my hands were shaking until I dropped the parchment on the kitchen floor. Trembling, I bent down and picked up the letter and read over its formal script once more.

_To Miss Ivy Walkerton,_

_I, Princess Celestia, am pleased to inform you that you have been chosen to participate in a research project involving both of our worlds. I know that you have exceptional knowledge of the realm of Equestria. This is why I have chosen you for Project First Contact._

My breath hitched. Here it was; the unbelievable part.

_I will be sending ten of my subjects to your world in order for them to become acquainted with human customs. They will be transformed into humans at the time they arrive. They shall stay with you for a period of twelve months. At the end of this time, I myself, along with my sister Luna, will come into the human world. When we arrive, they will turn back into ponies. Within the following time after that, we will focus on introducing our world to the officials of your nation. More details will be given to you then._

Swallowing hard, I read the last few sentences.

_You may be wondering why I chose you for such a task. I believe you have significant potential within you, Ivy. You have a spiritual power beyond your years. I am certain that you are the most qualified human for this project._

_Best Regards,_

_Princess Celestia of Equestria_

I set the letter down on the table. Placing my hands on my forehead, I took a deep breath. Should I really believe this? At first, I had thought it was just a joke. However, after reading it over and over, I couldn't help but think it was real. I sighed and looked around the room. Suddenly, I heard the door open.

"We're home!"

My little sister Annabell's voice rang through the foyer. I smiled as the fourteen year old waltzed into the kitchen, dropping her bag on the floor and opening the fridge. I smiled even wider when another girl, a ten year old named Mercury, pranced in after her.

Like I said, Annabell is my little sister. She's lived with me ever since our grandparents died, who we had lived with ever since our mother died. Annabell was the only one in our family who didn't remember her. Our mother died the day after Anna was born. Me and my twin sister Allie were only seven when she died. My younger sister Katie was only five. We'd lived with our grandparents ever since. They passed away a few months after Allie and I turned 20. I had already moved to a new house in Brandywine, but Allie decided to stay in our old house. Katie has lived with her, while Annabell stuck with me. Mercury, on the other hand, is my adopted daughter. I saw her once when I visited an orphanage for inspiration (I'm an aspiring writer) and couldn't bear to leave her. She was nine years old then. We all lived in a house that was rather large for only three people. Let's just say, my great aunt Evelyn knew how to live. The house was crazy huge, and it came with a butler and gardener and everything! All in all, it was more than enough room for two kids and a young adult only five years out of high school.

"Hey, Annabell, Mercury. How was school?" I asked.

"Same old, same old." Annabell responded. She had grabbed a can of Pepsi and opened it with a _pop_. Mercury picked out a juice box.

"It was great!" the little one said. "Ms. Walter gave us our books today. We're reading Old Yeller. I like it 'cause it's about this dog who gets found by this boy and…"

As Mercury rambled on, Annabell got the cookies off the pantry. As she munched on a chewy homemade chocolate chip one made by Damien (the butler), she spied the letter I had finished reading. I saw her eyebrow quirk, and I immediately tensed. My sister was a curious thing, and I knew that she'd try to read it, regardless that it was my mail. I watched as she picked up the paper, her baffled expression growing with every word. I chuckled inwardly; she always made the funniest faces.

"Ivy…what in the world is this?" she asked. I smiled weakly at her. Mercury stopped talking and scanned over the letter.

"Princess Celestia…the…pony princess…wrote to YOU!?"

"I…" Did I mention that we three were all avid viewers of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic? Every Saturday morning we would be in the living room watching it.

"The ponies are gonna stay here? In OUR house? For a YEAR!?"

"Is this a joke?" Annabell asked. "This is a joke, right?"

"I don't know." I deadpanned. "I found this in the mail, and that's all. I'm not even sure it's real."

"Of course it's real! It's got the signature and everything! Look, it even has Princess Celestia's sun symbol!" Mercury squeaked, pointing to the golden insignia on the paper.

"Well, I don't know…" I started. But one look into my daughter's excited eyes killed my argument.

"This…is…so…COOL!" Mercury shouted. "Wait…we have to clean this place!" she looked wildly around the kitchen. "And make space in the rooms! Ten people…Well, six of them could share two rooms each, and three could share my room, and if Annabell takes the couch and I sleep with you, mom…"

"Hey!" Annabell interjected. "Why do I have to take the couch?"

I laughed. The two girls looked at me.

"Okay, if this is really happening, we have a lot of work to do."

"You bet!" Mercury finished her juice and ran to the stairs. Anna covered her soda with a napkin and followed her.

"Wait!" I called, but they were already out of earshot.

"You still have to do your homework!"

I sighed. I guessed I would just have to treat this like it was real. But if this was what it was like with two, what would it be like with ten more?

"Ivy…WHAT have you gotten yourself into?"


	2. The Beginning Part 1

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna gazed at the mirror steadily. It was a large item, reaching from the bottom of the floor all the way to the ceiling, taking up about half the wall. It did not reflect the room, however; instead, it showed a young woman reading a scroll. The image flashed to the same woman talking to a young girl. They were in a bedroom, straightening out a bed sheet. The girl laughed at something the woman said, and a smile grew on the woman's face. The image changed again, this time showing the same woman standing in front of a tall man dressed in black. He nodded his head, bowed slightly, and departed the scene from a door behind him. The image faded to the reflection a mirror would normally give.

"Are you certain this is the best course of action, sister?" Luna asked. Celestia glanced at her younger sister.

"I have observed this young woman for quite a while," she said. "I am confident in her abilities. What better way, after all, to learn about a new world than see it in person?"

"It is not you that is going, Tia," Luna turned to her sister. "You are sending the Elements of Harmony into this unknown world…"

"I find it interesting, Luna," Celestia said. "That we know nothing of this world, and yet they know of ours. I have seen it. The woman I have watched appears to be an avid fan of our tales…" she turned to look her sister dead in the eyes. "I have faith in both her and the Elements. I am certain they will succeed in their tasks." Luna looked a tad uncertain for a moment, but nodded.

"Your Majesties," the voice of her guard, Swift Shield, called behind her. The stallion bowed to her and said in his low voice:

"The Element Bearers and company have arrived."

"Thank you," said the sun goddess. "Please send them in."

The guard bowed once more and exited the room. Ten other beings entered it. Twilight Sparkle and the other five Elements of Harmony, three fillies that are more commonly known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and a purple and green baby dragon all walked up to the princesses.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight briefly nuzzled her mentor. Celestia smiled at the young mare she'd taken as her student.

"It is good to see you all," she said happily. "I trust you are all prepared for your journey?"

"We are, Princess," Applejack said.

"Though I must admit that a whole year in a new world seems like quite a long trip," Rarity added.

"Rest assured, you will all be safe and cared for during your stay. However, I would like to test you on a few of the things I told you about this world. The species you will be changing into is…"

"Humans, Your Majesty," Twilight answered.

"Good. Humans do not have hooves, they have-

"Ooh! Hands and feet! Hands and feet!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up and down.

"Yes. Because humans have no fur, they mostly…"

"Wear clothes at all times!" Rarity responded, waving her hoof.

"Excellent. Now, the final question. What is the name of the human you are staying with?"

"Oh, I know!" Pinkie Pie jumped up. "It's Ivy, right? I remembered that part the best because if we're gonna live with her then we'll become friends and you can't have a friend and forget their name, so I-

"We get it, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash shoved a hoof into Pinkie Pie's mouth. "Alright, Princess, we're ready!"

"I can't WAIT to see this new world!" Scootaloo cheered. "It's gonna be great, I just know it!"

"Do you think they have karaoke there?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Ah bet they've got more games than we could ever think of!" Apple Bloom said excitedly.

"They've probably got BILLIONS of gems! And ice cream…" Spike said, off in his own little fantasy.

"Well then, everypony, please stand in front of the mirror." Princess Celestia gestured to the large mirror on the wall. The ten friends stepped toward it, sharing looks of excitement and anticipation. Celestia looked at her sister, whose expression clearly said, 'Are you sure about this?'

Celestia nodded, and Princess Luna gave a small smile. The two goddesses closed their eyes. Their horns became enveloped in their gold and blue auras respectively, and the mirror began to glow brightly. Then ten ponies – and dragon – standing in front of it were gently lifted to its surface. Twilight Sparkle was the first to touch it. It was cool and soft, like being submerged in a gentle stream. Once she was fully inside, she began to change.

It wasn't a painful feeling, but it wasn't altogether pleasant. Warmth spread through her body, and a tingly feeling followed it, like the feeling you get in your limbs when they have fallen asleep. She felt her legs stretch outward, her bones realigning, and her hooves separating into smaller appendages. She felt her face's features soften, her fur coat receding and making room for skin. She could feel her horn shortening, until it was gone. This feeling upset her a bit, but she could still feel magic, pulsing gently as it left her head and took refuge somewhere else in her new body. Then, finally, it was over.

Twilight had the disorienting sensation of being plunged downward, stationary but still tumbling, like when one falls within a dream. The feeling abruptly ended as colors swirled about her, slowly forming shapes and patterns. When everything finally cleared, Twilight Sparkle was standing on two legs on a grassy lawn. She gazed at herself in awe, taking the time to flex the new appendages at the ends of her light brown arms. As she had studied all she could about human anatomy, she quickly identified them as hands. The fingers had hard tops, the nails. They were neatly painted powder purple. She noticed that she was wearing a short-sleeved lavender dress with a polo-like top and a pleated hem. Her cutie mark, she could see, was stitched on the top left like a crest. Upon looking down, she noticed that her new feet were covered with plain white socks up to her knees and mauve shoes. It was strange how naturally everything seemed on her.

"Whoa…" Twilight looked up. She was greeted with the sight of a male human boy, a good deal smaller than her. His hair was green and raised up in the middle. He wore a purple drawstring hoodie and dark green shorts with large pockets. His shoes were green and white, with a black check mark on the sides. His socks came only to his ankles, allowing the pale skin on his legs to show.

"Spike, this is amazing!" the young woman squealed. A groan to her left alerted her to her other friends:

Rainbow Dash wore a sky blue zip-up hoodie with short sleeves and her cutie mark on the back. She had black spandex capris, and the light tan skin extending to her shoes showed that she wore either no-show socks or none at all. Her shoes were red and white high tops. The former Pegasus was currently complaining about how her wings were gone.

Pinkie Pie wore a hot pink t-shirt with a cute cartoony cupcake on the front and her cutie mark on the left shoulder. She also had a bright magenta tutu skirt and over-knee socks that were white with yellow stripes. Her shoes were like Rainbow's, but they were light blue. She was already hopping around excitedly, taking in her surroundings.

Rarity had on a lovely white dress with spaghetti straps and a scallop hem. Her cutie mark was set with shimmering gems all around the waistline of the dress. Her pale skin was complimented by the dark tone of her stockings and black heels. The designer was fretting over her missing horn, but the mourning quickly turned to awe as she took in her new outfit.

Applejack, meanwhile, was marveling at her new form rather than her outfit. The cowgirl wore an orange t-shirt with her cutie mark on the front. She had slim blue jeans that fit into her tan cowboy boots. Thankfully, she had kept her Stetson hat on throughout the transformation. Applejack was shakily taking to her feet, trying to walk around.

Fluttershy was still on the ground, in a kneeling position. Her wings were gone as well, but she didn't seem too concerned. She was looking around the new world in wonder. The shy girl had a canary yellow turtleneck sweater with her cutie mark on the chest and a baby pink skirt that came to her knees. Her feet were covered by pink flats, and no socks covered her sand-colored skin. Applejack came over to her and helped her up.

"This is SO AWESOME!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping over to Twilight. She shoved her hands into the girl's face. "I have hands! I HAVE HANDS!"

"Pinkie, calm down!" Twilight said. "There are houses here; don't make such a scene." Indeed, it appeared that they had landed on the lawn of someone's home; a house stood not far off. Twilight could see several other houses in the distance down the paved road.

"Aw man, this stinks," Rainbow pouted. "My wings are gone!"

"So is my horn!" Rarity wailed, holding her hands to her head. "This is awful! Although I must say that this dress, while simple, is simply smashing…"

"I don't think our magic is gone for good, Rarity," Twilight said. "I could feel-

"Hold on a second. Where are the girls?" Applejack interrupted, looking around the area. "Apple Bloom?"

"Sweetie Belle? Girls, can you hear us?" Rarity called. Within moments, three young girls came crashing into the yard from the right. There were trees there; this house seemed to be the last one on the street before forest took over. The first girl was obviously Apple Bloom, with her apple red hair and pink bow. She was wearing a yellow and white t-shirt and blue jeans. She had simple black and white shoes.

Scootaloo came next. She had tan skin, which was complimented nicely by her orange hoodie and tan cargo pants. Her shoes were like Spike's, but were orange with a black stripe. Finally, Sweetie Belle came up. She wore a powder purple shirt with a microphone on it. Over top of it she wore a white cable knit cardigan. She also had a simple white skirt over sheer pink tights, and white ballet flats.

"Wooow," she gasped, taking in the women's new forms. "We're all humans!"

"This is SO cool!" Scootaloo laughed. She and Spike began to compare shoes while Apple Bloom looked around the world.

"Hey, look!" the girl said, pointing at the sky. "Somethin's happening!"

Sure enough, a prismatic swirl was forming in the sky. As it grew larger, the portal glowed, and several things fell from it. Bags of different colors dropped in front of their new owners: Twilight got an indigo one, Spike got a green one, Sweetie Belle got a pink and purple patterned one, etc. Then, a purple and orange notepad, a sparkling pen, and a matchbox drifted down to Twilight. Finally, five necklaces and a tiara glided to their respective owners.

"I didn't know the princess was sending the Elements of Harmony," Rarity said, holding her necklace delicately.

"Perhaps she's sending them in case there's an emergency," Twilight said. "But what are these for?" She picked up the notepad, pen, and matchbox. Opening to the first page, she read the note out loud.

_Dear Twilight Sparkle and Friends,_

_This is a special journal in which I would like you to record your journey in. The matches are fused with the same magic as Spike's dragon flame, and they will only ignite the pages. Setting the pages aflame after you write down each day's events will send them to me. This, as far as I know, is the only way we shall be able to communicate. I have also sent you the Elements of Harmony, though at the moment they are just a precautionary measure. I look forward to hearing about your adventures._

_Yours,_

_Princess Celestia_

"Wow…" Twilight leafed through the rest of the book. "There are more than enough pages for just a year! Then again, some days might be so full of events that we need more than one page…"

"Speakin' of events, don't you think we oughta get to the house now?" Applejack gestured to the rather large house that stood not too far off.

"I do. Is every…one ready?" Twilight caught herself; this would take a bit of getting used to.

After a simultaneous agreement from everyone, the group made their way to the ornate front door of the manor. Twilight wondered what this Ivy would be like; surely she must be important, to live in such a big house! She knew that she had a sister and an adopted daughter, so she must enjoy the company of others. With a deep breath, Twilight Sparkle knocked on the door of their new home.

**~MLP~MLP~MLP~**

"Mercury, everything looks fine. You've adjusted that pillow seven times already," Annabell huffed, watching as the raven-haired girl moved a pillow back and forth on the living room couch. Mercury frowned, tilted her head, and then pushed the pillow around again.

"It's gotta be perfect!" she said. "The ponies will be here any minute now!"

"You DO know that they'll be coming as humans, right?"

"Still, what kinds of hosts would we be if we greeted our guests with an uneven living room?"

"Mercury, Damien and mom cleaned this place from head to toe. Sean has trimmed every plant in the garden. Damien is ALSO cooking enough food to last weeks, even with fifteen people. I think we're ready."

"…" the younger girl just stared at the pillow. "Do you think it should be closer to the left side or the right? The right side is closer to the kitchen, but the left is closer to the TV."

Annabell facepalmed.

"Is everything okay in here?" Ivy came down the stairs. She hadn't dressed too over the top, but she was wearing a pink off-shoulder top with sequins and dark blue jeans. Her dark brown hair was tied back in its usual ponytail. A hint of golden eye shadow was dusted over her eyelids, complimenting her cinnamon brown skin.

"Yep, just making a few last minute adjustments."

"Great. I hope you remembered to-oh!" Ivy was cut off when the doorbell rang. "It's them!"

"Eep!" Mercury looked around frantically, suddenly nervous. Annabell merely sat on the sofa and looked at the door expectantly as Ivy went to open it.

The first thing Ivy noticed was the hair of her guests. From watching the show, she could easily tell who was who. Twilight Sparkle stood before her, a small smile on her face. Ivy couldn't help but think that the young woman was hiding even more excitement behind it.

"Hello," Ivy started calmly, trying not to fangirl out. "You're Twilight Sparkle, yes?"

"I am. And you are Ivy Walkerton?"

"I most certainly am. Come in, come in!" the young woman ushered them all into her home. She noticed Fluttershy hesitate a little bit before stepping into the house. The CMC and Spike, however, nearly bounded in. Ivy could barely keep in the fangirlish squeal; of all the people that she could host in her home, these had to be the best!

"Wow!" Pinkie Pie gasped. "Your house is manor-iffic!" The pink-haired girl marveled at all the décor around the entryway. It was indeed a splendid house. The entryway was spacious and ornate, with a crystal chandelier hanging high above it. It branched off five ways: far left to the small dining room; left to the kitchen; straight to the back door leading to the garden and the staircase going up; right to the basement stairs, two bedrooms, and a bathroom; and far right to the living room. The halls were of a plush tan carpet that changed to clean white tile in the kitchen. Speaking of the kitchen, everyone could smell a warm, inviting scent wafting out of it.

"Thank you," Ivy smiled. "And may I just say that it really is an honor to meet you, let alone house you for an entire year."

"The pleasure is ours, Miss Walkerton," Twilight said. Ivy laughed a little.

"Please, call me Ivy."

"Alright."

"Now, I have a few people I'd like you to meet," Ivy continued. She ducked her head into the living room. "Girls, come out and meet our guests."

Two younger human girls emerged from the living room. The first had light tan skin and chestnut brown hair to her shoulders. She was wearing a sunny yellow, puff-sleeved shirt and sky blue skinny jeans. The second girl had pale skin and black hair that could almost be dark blue in certain light. She wore a white shirt with rainbow paint splashes beneath a burgundy jacket and dark blue jeans. The younger girl was smiling shyly, gazing at the Cutie Mark Crusaders in wonder. The three other girls didn't seem to notice her gaze.

"This is my sister Annabell," Ivy gestured to the teenaged girl, "And this is my daughter Mercury." The bluenette girl seemed to shrink a bit under the sudden gaze of the visitors.

"It's so great to meet you," Annabell smiled. She subtly nudged her adopted niece. "Mercury, say something," she whispered to her. Mercury just smiled and waved. Within moments, her smile grew, and it got larger and larger until it looked like it would split her face.

"I can't believe you're here!" she said in delight. "I've always wanted to meet you! You guys are SO awesome, the way you save Equestria from all the bad guys, and have so many adventures, and can do magic and fly and meet dragons and manticores and hydras and…" she stopped for a breath. "You're…so…cool…"

"Hehehe…it's awesome we have so many fans in this world," Rainbow Dash smirked. "You like hearing about our adventures, huh?"

"Yes!" Mercury's eyes were shining. "I can't get enough of them!"

"That's very sweet of you, darling," Rarity smiled at the girl, who was now bouncing from foot to foot. Rarity turned back to Ivy. "Our adventures…in your world, they are what you call a "television show"?"

"Yes. Even though its general audience is targeted toward children, people of all ages enjoy it."

"Ooh!" Mercury interjected. "Can I give a tour? I wanna give them a tour of the house! Can I mom, pleeaase?"

"Ha, of course you can." As soon as the words left her mouth, Mercury jumped over to the living room.

"Yay! Okay, this is the main living room. We all come here when we do big family stuff, like watch movies and have parties. That," Mercury pointed to the flat-screen TV. "Is a television, more commonly called a TV. You can watch a bunch of things on it, from current news to cartoons to movies and even drama shows. We watch your show in here every Saturday!" she beamed, and the ten guests smiled a bit embarrassedly.

"Next is the kitchen," the bluenette girl led the group through the archway to the kitchen. "And Mr. Damien – he's our butler – is making dinner right now!" she gestured to the tall man working away at the stove. He turned around and smiled charmingly at the group.

"A warm welcome to you all," he said in his calm voice. "I do hope you enjoy your stay. Dinner will be ready within the hour."

"Thank you, Damien," Ivy said. The man turned back to his cooking.

"Alright, here is the dining room," Mercury continued the tour through a door that led to a living room with a table suited for about five. "This is the small one where, mom, Anna, and I eat. The big one," she walked through another door to the larger dining room. The table here looked like it could seat about twenty people. "Is where Great Auntie Evelyn had dinner parties."

"Did she throw a lot of parties?" Pinkie Pie asked. Mercury nodded.

"She sure did. They weren't very fun, though," Mercury frowned. "Great Aunt Evelyn was the president of a big company, and all the parties she threw were just a bunch of people sitting down and eating and…moving on," she stopped after catching Ivy's look. "Let's go upstairs so you can pick out rooms!"

"Hey, what's back there?" Scootaloo asked as they went past the back hallway.

"Oh, that leads to Mr. Sean and Mr. Damien's rooms," Mercury said. "And that stairway goes downstairs. We can go there last, 'cause it's the best part!" she winked.

"…Wow," Twilight said as they all stared down the hallway. Several doors lined the hall, each of them either leading to a bedroom, a bathroom, or a storage closet. There were seven bedrooms and four bathrooms altogether on this floor. The rooms weren't huge, but they were a decent size. Ivy and Mercury's rooms were here, and the CMC, Spike, and Applejack chose rooms here as well. They soon came to another staircase leading upward, and Mercury happily led them to the third floor. This floor had six rooms and three bathrooms. Annabell's room was up here, and Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all picked out rooms here.

"Your house really is huge," Rainbow commented as they descended to the second floor.

"Thanks," Ivy said. "Though I've seen glimpses of the outside of your house in the show, and I can't help but marvel."

"Thanks," Rainbow smiled.

_I haven't messed up even once, _Ivy thought. _I think…I think this is going to be alright._


	3. The Beginning Part 2

At that moment, they heard a call from the bottom of the staircase. It was Damien, announcing dinner. The group separated to the different bathrooms, washed their hands, and filed down the stairs and into the large dining room. As they sat down at the table, Twilight noticed the silverware was nearly identical to the ones they used in Equestria. She picked up her fork, silently amazed at how natural it felt in her hand. The spell Princess Celestia had really helped them get used to their new bodies.

Damien began to bring in the meal. He set down a large bowl from which he served platefuls of spaghetti. Next, he expertly spooned fragrant red sauce onto the pasta and sprinkled it all with cheese. Mouths watered all around when the man finally put down a bowl full of fresh salad. Damien finished off the plates with a slice of garlic bread.

"Wow," Rainbow Dash was practically drooling. "All this looks great!"

"You've outdone yourself, Damien," Ivy complimented the butler, who bowed and smiled.

"I simply had to do my absolute best for such important company."

"Your best is delicious!" Mercury cheered, eating a forkful of spaghetti.

"I am pleased to hear that, my dear." Damien nodded and walked back to the kitchen, and everyone began to dig into their meals.

"He certainly is formal," Rarity noted. "And such a gentleman!" She took a bite of her salad.

"Damien is very dedicated," Ivy said. "He's worked here for quite a while. His father worked here when my Great Aunt was around."

"What kind of business did your aunt run, Ivy?" Twilight asked.

"She was the owner of Winston Foods, a big catering company in our world. It had even spread overseas with her management, and partnered with many other companies, including an important toy company in England." Ivy's eyes seemed to gain a far-off look. "Auntie Evelyn had a big soft spot for kids. She even created a type of soup that could be held easily for children to enjoy."

"She sounds very innovative," Twilight said.

"She was."

"Ms. Ivy, is it true that humans eat meat?" Scootaloo asked innocently, still slurping on the spaghetti.

"Just Ivy is fine, Scootaloo," the young woman said. "And yes, humans do eat meat, but not all the time."

"Do we have to eat meat while we're here?" Spike asked, concerned. Twilight sent him a look, but Ivy just smiled.

"Not if you don't want to. It's perfectly fine."

"Do humans go to school?" Apple Bloom asked Mercury. The young girl nodded.

"We sure do! I'm in fifth grade at my school. My teacher is so nice!"

"Our teacher is nice, too," Sweetie Belle said. "Miss Cheerilee is one of the best teachers ever! I kinda miss her, though…" her smile drooped a bit.

"Well, I'm sure she's thinking about you," Mercury said. "She sounds really nice. What subjects do you learn at your school?"

As the girls' conversation went on, the older women compared their worlds and their adventures.

"…And that's how Equestria was made!" Pinkie Pie said. Everyone blinked in mild wonder at how she had at times gotten completely off track, but had also told the story in complete and accurate detail. They eventually shook their heads and changed to another subject.

"Princess Celestia briefed us a little bit on your world and its history," Twilight started. "We know that it is divided into seven continents, and those continents are divided into countries. We know that this country is called the United States of America, right?"

"Correct," Ivy said. "This country is divided into fifty states, hence the name. I won't name them all, but the one I live in is called Maryland, and the city is called Brandywine."

"That's an interesting name…" Rarity said, taking a sip of her water. Ivy giggled.

"I've always thought so."

Applejack looked out the window nearest her. She could see the sun dipping down into the horizon of treetops.

"Ah know that this is a whole different world and all…" she said. "But ah just don't see how your sun and moon move across the sky all by themselves."

"It has something to do with gravity and the Earth's rotation," Ivy stated. "But I won't go all lecture mode on you today. Say, did Princess Celestia say anything about going out in the world? I mean, like, any certain activities?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure," Twilight said. "I suppose something might be in the bags she gave us. We can check those after dinner."

"I hope we can go somewhere fun, like a park! Ooh, or maybe a beach! Or a party! Do you think we can have a party?" Pinkie Pie grinned.

"I don't know. There are tons of amusement parks and beaches to go to, but it would take some planning."

"Planning is part of the fun!"

"Whew! That was great," Spike leaned back, patting his belly. Everyone had finished their meal in happiness. Damien had come back, and was clearing away the dishes.

"I hope you have all saved room for dessert," he said with a small smile. The kids, as well as Annabell and Pinkie Pie, perked up. Their eyes widened when the butler disappeared and came back with a decadent marble cake and bowls of chocolate ice cream.

Several heavenly scoops of sugary goodness later, dinner was officially over. Mercury was up in a nanosecond, and she suggested everyone go downstairs now.

"Maybe you should let them unpack first, Mercury," Ivy said. The young girl shrugged.

"Okay, but as soon as everybody's done, we can go downstairs and play the Wii!"

"What's a Wii?" Scootaloo asked.

"It's a game system, and you hold a remote to use it! I'll show you how; it's fun!"

The group agreed to this plan. They went to their respected rooms, guided by Annabell and Mercury. Ivy stayed behind and complimented Damien once again.

"It is my honor, Ivy," he said. "I only live to serve." He placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly

"Oh come on, Damien," the woman retorted. "You and I both know you're just as excited to see them."

"I admit they are very good company. One thing I can say, though…" He stepped toward the door. "The year to come will certainly be interesting. If you'll excuse me, my dear." With that, he turned and walked down the hall and out the door to the garden.

Ivy stared after him, put off by his cryptic words. Damien was a bit of a mystery himself, and he never ceased to make people wonder about his true intentions. Ivy had half a mind to follow him, but the sound of Mercury's voice calling her from upstairs grabbed her attention first.

"Mom! Twilight needs you!" the young girl called. "It's so awesome! C'mon!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Ivy walked briskly up the stairs. She was guided to Twilight Sparkle's room, in which everyone else was waiting.

"It seems the Princess did want us to go out quite a bit," the violet-eyed woman said. She held out several sheets of paper to Ivy, who read parts of them out loud.

"Samantha Dasher, age 10, fifth grade class schedule…huh!?" The paper had a picture of Scootaloo in human form.

"Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Spike are all going to my school!" Mercury cheered. "Isn't this great?"

"Sarah Belle…Bloom Smith…Shaun Starr," Ivy read each name with growing impression. "Wow, Princess Celestia thought of everything."

"That's not all," Twilight said. "She planned out names for all of us, and made a list of some of the things we should do here."

"Visit Washington D.C….New York…well, she certainly wants to get some city time in…Pennsylvania…Virginia…oh, hey, I know where this is!" Ivy spotted the name of a certain museum. "The Newseum is so awesome!"

Several minutes of talking revealed several things. In public, the Equestrians-turned-humans were to be named as such:

Twilight Sparkle would go by Tara Starr.

Applejack was now Jacqueline Smith.

Rainbow Dash would be Rio Dasher.

Pinkie Pie was Diana Pine.

Rarity would be called Renée Belle.

Fluttershy was now Fiona Martin.

Apple Bloom was Bloom Smith.

Sweetie Belle would be called Sarah Belle.

Spike would be Shaun Starr.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike would attend Mercury's school and be in her class. Throughout the year they were on Earth, they were to learn as much as possible about human culture. This "learning" included visits to important monuments and historical sights. Ivy had to admit, this was exciting. Going to all these places would not only be a new experience; some trips would be a walk down memory lane.

"This is all gonna take some serious planning," the brown-haired woman said. Then she grinned broadly. "But that can wait. It's Saturday night, so let's go have fun!"

"Ooh! Can we play the Wii now?" Mercury was hopping excitedly next to the door.

"Of course!"

The group was led downstairs by the ecstatic bluenette. After a bit of explaining and trial-and-error, everyone was taking turns at Just Dance 3, Wii Sports, Mario Kart, and Mario Party. Cheers erupted from the basement as dancing, singing, and friendly competitions ensued.

**~MLP~MLP~MLP~**

Damien walked stoically through the garden of the Winston manor. Shrouded by the night sky, he came to the center of the garden, where a small gazebo sat. In it sat another man. The light of the moon revealed his dirty blonde hair and skinny arms.

"Good evening, Sean," said the butler to the gardener of the manor. Sean looked up and smiled softly.

"Everythin' alrigh' so far?" he asked in a thick accent. Damien nodded. He looked up at the pale moon, almost full.

"I believe our guests are warming up to this world quickly. Although I wonder…" he trailed off. Sean looked up at him.

"The princess sent us 'ere to keep an eye on things. I doubt it'll go bad so soon."

"I know that, but I cannot help but wonder if he will indeed break free."

"If he does, we got the Elements right 'ere. You worry too much, Night."

"…" Damien said nothing. He simply stared at the bright, pale moon.


End file.
